


Late Night

by petersnotkingyet



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Bitty is a good bro, Drabble, Gen, Generous Use of Petnames, Tic Disorder, Tourette's Syndrome, naps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-04 14:41:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13366860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petersnotkingyet/pseuds/petersnotkingyet
Summary: Tango has Tourette's, and Bitty has his back.





	Late Night

“Tango?” Bitty said.  “You okay, honey?”

“Yeah,” Tango mumbled.  His homework was splayed across the table, abandoned, while the freshman rubbed his right arm across his face.  The movement was perfectly rhythmic; he slid his arm across his forehead and eyes up to mid-bicep, circled down to his jaw, and pulled it back across to start again.  “It just doesn’t feel right, you know?”

“Has Nursey been trying to make you start drinking coffee again?” Eric said.  “Because I talked to him about that, and he seemed like he understood.”

“No, I get decaf when I go with him,” Tango said.  His arm was still circling across his face.  “I just haven’t been sleeping well.”

Bitty pursed his lips.  Tango had mentioned his roommate keeping him up before, but no one had been able to convince him to request a switch.  Now wasn’t the time for that, so Bitty offered up a solution instead.

“Why don’t you go try to take a nap in my room?” Bitty suggested.

“Oh, I don’t want to take over your room,” Tango said.  “I’m fine.”

“Tango, I’ve failed you if you think I’m going to make you try to sleep on that couch,” Bitty said.  “My laptop’s unlocked if you want to watch Netflix for a while.”

“Thanks, Bitty,” Tango said, sounding relieved.  “Will you come get me when the pie’s done?”

“Sure, sweetheart,” Bitty said.

Tango disappeared up the stairs while Eric started the lattice.  Once he had put the pie in the oven and washed his hands, Bitty moved over the table to pack up the notes Tango had left behind.  As Bitty slid the papers into the freshman’s binder, the front door opened and Dex walked in.

“Bitty, you can’t bake and study at the same time,” Dex said.

“Don’t chirp me,” Bitty said, using the binder to point threateningly at Dex.  “It’s Tango’s.”

“Did he forget it here?” Dex said.

“No, he’s upstairs in my room,” Bitty said.  “He needed a little chill time, so I told him to go try and get some sleep.”

“Is his roommate still keeping him up?” Dex asked.

“He didn’t say, but I think so.”

“He should see if he and Whiskey can get put together,” Dex said.  “Whiskey’s roommate is more of a night owl, and Whiskey likes getting to bed early so he can get up and skate before class.”

“Lord, that’d be perfect,” Bitty said.  “Don’t let me forget to suggest that.”

“Okay,” Dex said as he peered into the oven.

“Dex, if you ruin my pie watching it….”

“Sorry,” Dex laughed, standing up.  “Just wanted to know what kind it was.”

When the pie was out of the oven and cooled, Bitty went upstairs to get Tango.  The freshman was dosing on top of the comforter, shoes neatly tucked under the bed and Señor Bun carefully posed on the nightstand.  _A Series of Unfortunate Events_ was still playing on Eric’s laptop, and he paused it before shaking Tango’s shoulder.

“Hey, Bitty,” Tango said sleepily.  He still looked drowsy, but his ever-moving hands were still.  “Is the pie done?”

“Yeah, Dex is cutting it,” Bitty said.

“Sweet,” Tango said.  He sat up on the edge of the bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.  Eric bit his lip for a second, but Tango’s arm went back down without circling across his face.  “I’ll be down in a second.”

“Okay, sugar,” Bitty said, taking his cue to go back to the kitchen.

“Hey, Bitty?” Tango said at the last second. 

“Yeah?” Bitty said, pausing in the doorway.

“Thanks.”

“Anytime, Tango.”


End file.
